SpLiT
by Lirdianc
Summary: It was relatively simple. Get in, get the feather, get out. Straight forward, right? Only now, it's a little tougher...With a war, a ring, a mirror and a Tower, what's gonna happen next?
1. Prologue

I don't own LOTR. Grr.

_c.1100_

_Orthanc_

The Wise left the chamber, each in deep thought. One, an old man clad in storm grey robes, seemed particularly troubled. Catching the eye of a golden-haired elf, he motioned for her to follow him. He led her to one of the smallest gardens, where none would overhear.

"What troubles you, Mithrandir?" the elf asked, "it is not the reappeareance of the Nazgul-I can see it in your eyes."

Mithrandir sighed. "Most true, Lady Galadriel," he replied, "it is not the Nazgul who trouble me now…it is the feather. I have examined Curunir's palantir-something in it stirs, as if it awaits something. I do not know what, and that is what needles me so. Were we wrong to split the feather?"

Galadriel was silent for a moment, as she collected her thoughts. Finally, she spoke. "I too have felt the stirrings-my mirror has shown me strange sights of late. They are not of Middle-Earth, nor Valinor. I cannot guess at the intent behind them. It is too late to correct this error. The other palantiri with a feather shard embedded within it is in the possession of dark forces-they will have felt it call as well. Now, we may only bide our time and wait," she said with a sigh.

Mithrandir nodded his agreement, and the two slowly walked back to their quarters. As they did so, he softly voiced a thought.

"I wonder what the Witch would say?"

He got a _very_ undignifying snort from his companion as an answer.


	2. OnE

No, this is not feather only-I've got all the characters from the manga. Sorry to all the people who were confused! By the way, if you're gonna review, could you help me think up names for Fai to call Kurogane? I think I'll be running out shortly. Anyway, has anyone else noticed it's always the _fox_ who sees all kinds of weird things? Harry Potter…Lord of the Rings…think about it…

Disclaimer: If I owned Tsubasa and LoTR, then right now I'd be enjoying some delicious muffins at the Cat Café with Frodo and Legolas. But I'm not. So yeah.

_September 29th, 3018_

_Just outside of Bree_

"Here we are!" Fai commented cheerfully once they had materialized in the shady grove, scaring the living daylights out of a passing fox. Beside him, Syaoran took a moment to stretch after checking if Sakura was alright. Looking up, the boy absently noted that it was the late afternoon.

"Kuro-nya, could you climb a tree and see where we are?" Fai asked sweetly.

Kurogane growled in frustration, but climbed a particularly tall oak - after all, the suggestion was a practical one. The air above the treetops was crisp and fresh, with a lively breeze flowing through the sky. Scanning the horizon, Kurogane spotted a large town not too far off, with a clear road that headed straight towards it. Descending, he told the others of what he had seen once he had touched the ground.

"Did it look hostile?" Syaoran asked, his gaze instantly flicking to Sakura, who was playing with Mokona.

"It's hard to tell from such a distance, but it looked fairly peaceful. We'll have to chance it," Kurogane replied.

Fai turned to Mokona, asking "Do you sense a feather?"

Mokona, who had been his usual bright and peppy self, sobered suddenly. "Mokona senses it here, but it's separated," he answered, "…it just…is."

They all exchanged confused and worried glances for a moment. Sakura was the first to break the silence. "Well," she said smiling, "We'll never know what that means unless we look for it."

o.0.o.0.o

They had reached Bree at dusk, right as its town doors were closing. Using the same excuse that they made in the country of Jade, with some minor changes, they were able to enter. At the moment they were in the tavern area of a small but clean inn named the Prancing Pony, where they had lodged. Kurogane had immediately forbidden them all from drinking, before heading off to try some of the Pony's touted beer himself. The others headed to a quiet table near the back of the tavern, and watched the inn slowly fill up with Bree's residents.

Surveying the assortment of men and the dwarf-like beings named hobbits, Syaoran saw to his disappointment that not one of them looked like seasoned travelers, much less competent fighters. Leaning back, he watched with some amusement as Sakura and Fai entered a game of dice, betting the statuesque Mokona. He caught the eye of the innkeeper, who hurried towards him.

"Anything I can do for ye sir?" the man asked, absently polishing a mug. Syaoran nodded, before asking, "Butterbur-san, is there anyone in this town that has ever done some traveling?" Butterbur was silent for a moment, counting up people on his fingers. Syaoran was dismayed to see that the tally ended on only one of the hands.

"There's Clary Sageleaf, and Clo - but you'd be looking for a _real_ wanderer, wouldn't you?" Butterbur said, cutting himself off at Syaoran's slightly disappointed and worried face, before continuing, "You won't find anyone here in Bree that's ever been to the White City, if that's your intention. But…you _could_ always ask Strider there in the corner. Best not to though. He's one of those Rangers - shifty sort of folk. Unless you're really desperate, it's better to go alone. The roads are clear, and you and your friends look like they can take care of themselves and yon maiden." His face took on an uneasy cast as he finished, belying the easy tone.

Syaoran looked in the direction that Butterbur had just nodded his head, a corner of the tavern strangely clear of laughing people drinking ale. Jutting out of the shadows was a table, with an empty plate set on it. Behind it, Syaoran could barely make out the form of a person, hidden in the folds of a cloak. The person - _Strider_, Syaoran thought - exhaled into his pipe, illuminating the shadows briefly as the embers of burning pipe-weed flared at the release of oxygen. Grey eyes stared with a dangerous intensity that Syaoran struggled to match. Slowly, the darkness formed around Strider once more.

Syaoran turned away. They would chance it alone.

o.0.o.0.o

Aragorn stared down at the four hobbits in exasperation. They had stopped again to eat a light lunch. It was only then, of course, that he had remembered that the hobbit version of a light meal consisted of considerably more than what he would eat for a filling dinner. He resisted the urge to just sweep the food out of their hands and make them march. Doing that, though, would betray the trust that he was working to build up, particularly with the heavyset one, Sam. For now, all that he could do was send them cutting glares, which did little good, since they had all turned their backs and were ignoring him. Or trying to.

For not the first time that day, he found his thoughts turning to the youth who had met his eyes the evening before. From the beginning, he and his companions had intrigued the tired Ranger, who had only expected a few dwarves at the most. One dark, ale swigging warrior in the strangest garb he had ever seen, a slim northern man with a perpetual grin and a sunny disposition, and two youths that spoke with the tone that only the educated and rich carried. At first, he had thought the blonde to be among one of the higher noble families, taking the children of another house along with him as a favor as he fled the impending doom that festered in the Black Land. They had arrived penniless, yet clad in clothes of the finest make.

He had given little thought to them after his initial examination, until he had met the eyes of the boy. A fire blazed in his eyes, and Aragorn had been surprised. Ordinary nobles did not possess the determination that boy had held, even in that moment of respite in the tavern. After the boy had broken eye contact, Aragorn had begun to watch the band more carefully. Something was _different _about them. The young maid, who he assumed was in her bedroom, was instead participating in a dice game, with an innocent and slightly confused expression on her face. Behind her, the blonde had leaned in with a knowing smile. The source of his amusement had quickly become clear, as the girl cleaned out the pockets of all who were playing.

Shaking his head slightly to clear his thoughts, he sat up, deliberately rustling the leaves loudly. The Ring-bearer turned, half-way into biting an apple. Aragorn gave him an impatient look before turning to untie Bill the Pony's reins. He took the half loaf of bread still left, and carefully wrapped it up. Opening one of the packs, he was surprised to see the toy the young noble girl had cradled the night before. He pulled it out, examining it. It was…fluffy. Very. Fluffy.

Setting it back in the pack-how _had_ it gotten in there?- he turned to the idling hobbits once again, leveling a hefty glare at them. It was doubtful that they would ever meet up with the girl again, but it seemed a shame to just throw it in away in the wilds. Besides, it would just leave something for the wraiths to track.

o.0.o.0.o

Kurogane mentally cursed the stupidity of both himself and the white manju bun. Himself, for not noticing the disappearance of their only avenue of communication, and said manju bun for being stupid enough to leave. They had searched everywhere, to no avail. At least the princess and the boy could still communicate, but faking a collective sore throat was definitely not the best way to leave the inn, never mind the suspicion that the girl had caused with her flawless winning streak in the dice game.

It was at times like this that he really missed the presence of his princess. For all his defiance and bravado, they both had known that he would never even consider leaving. Tomoyo had always been able to calm things down, and leave both sides happy. She was unique in this quality, and Kurogane respected her deeply for that.

Turning away his thoughts on Tomoyo, he focused on the problem at hand. It would take weeks to be able to understand the basics of all of the three languages they spoke, but Mokona did had a habit of turning up whenever it was really needed. Or when there was food, but that was irrelevant. Of course, no one knew when it would turn up, and they certainly didn't want to end up in any situations that put them under scrutiny. Thus, it was up to them to figure things out. He knew Syaoran's world used kanji-perhaps they could communicate that way…

He stopped and waited for the others to catch up. While Sakura was able to sustain herself for much longer periods of time than when they had all first met, she still had to watch herself, and the fainting spells appeared without warning. With that in mind, they had set an easy pace for the day.

As he scanned the horizon, idly wondering where they would sleep, he spied an ancient looking tower that stood out, a crumbling wreck that managed to hold itself in dignity while it was falling apart. When the others finally fell in pace with him, he pointed it out to them. As usual, Sakura and Fai looked utterly confused. Kurogane grit his teeth. At least Sakura was genuinely confused. The blonde idiot, on the other hand, had a tell-tale glint of mocking amusement in his ice blue eyes. It…annoyed him.

He mimicked sleeping, before pointing to the tower once again. Thankfully, Syaoran relayed the information to Sakura, who nodded her agreement. Fai shrugged, and they all headed for the tower, the thought of a good sleep prevalent in everyone's minds.

o.0.o.0.o

Pippin's feet _hurt_.

It was all fine and well to stroll through the downy grass of the Shire - indeed, sometimes it was very refreshing. But tramping through _wilds_ filled with snakes, thorny brushes, and annoying little pebbles was enough for any hobbit to wish for home with a big plate of steaming mushrooms and a warm fire. Needless to say, Pippin had begun to understand why the Big Folk liked wearing those annoying strips of leather called shoes. Furthermore, there had been no afternoon tea, which was ludicrous. Endless marching, without any rest or food, was now what Pippin considered torture of the worst possible kind. Before, it had been being caught by Farmer Maggot. And/or his dogs.

So preoccupied was he in his sorrow, that he did not notice that the others had stopped until he bumped into Merry. He looked up. Strider had halted in his tracks, gazing up with the oddest expression at a crumbling tower. With a start, Pippin realized they were in a small island amidst the thorny bracken. He glanced up at the tower, and froze. Did he see something shift in the shadows, at the very top of the tower? He squinted intently, but he could find no other trace of life. _Probably just the light playing tricks, or some animal_, he thought to himself, annoyed. There was too much nonsense going on already for him to be jumping at every cracking twig.

"Stay here. I'll examine the wilds around us, and see if we can shave off any more time," Strider ordered, before melting into the shadows. They did as he bid, staying in the little hollow dug into the side of the tower that Frodo had discovered. It fit four hobbits comfortably, giving them room to stretch. Frodo immediately dropped off, the stress lines that had adorned his face fading away.

Before long, Pippin was bored.

Looking around, he noticed that Strider had left the pack with food behind. Mentally cackling, Pippin quickly opened the pack, pulling out several tomatoes and some bacon. To his surprise, there was a child's toy in the pack as well, a white, fluffy sort of thing. He ignored it and set his conquests in front of Merry and Sam. The reaction was instantaneous. The fire was quickly set up, and before long the scent of bacon filled the air. The three sat quietly, letting Frodo catch as much sleep as he could.

A rustling sound came from the pack, and Pippin whirled around, furious that some animal had the nerve to try and steal their precious foods. He relaxed as he saw that it was just the fluffball, dusting itse-wait. He watched in mute astonishment as the thing shook itself slightly to free any dirt it had accumulated during the trip before bounding over the fire and into the arms of the startled youth that had somehow appeared behind them, scaring the living daylights out of Merry

"Mokona?! What are you doing? Never mind, it'll be a relief to speak to everyone. Come on, Kurogane's furio-ah…" he trailed off as he noticed the three pairs of eyes trained on him. At that moment, two very important things happened. Firstly, Frodo, awoken by the ruckus, spazzed out. Not because there was a strange young man with a furball sitting on his head. No, it wasn't that by a long shot. He dashed straight for the fire, stamping it out with the soles of his feet, a fearful look in his eyes. "Put it out, you fools!" he screamed, fear keeping him from regaining the calm that characterized his being.

Secondly, a piercing scream echoed from above them, causing everyone to pause. It was filled with horror and pain, and enough to stop any argument. "Sakura," the boy breathed, clenching a sword belted to his waist, before saying, "You'd better come with me. Anything that can get Sakura to scream like that is definitely not going to be anything good, and you'll be safe with me and my companions."

The Hobbits quickly took their own swords and belongings, tension thick in the air. Just as they were going to leave, Sam hesitated and reluctantly said, "…What about Strider? We should leave him something…" The boy hesitated, before answering, "I'm pretty sure Strider can take care of himself well enough. By the way, my name's Syaoran. Now hurry!" They raced to the top, where there were three people waiting. There was a young girl about Syaoran's age, who looked like she was about to wretch. By her side was a slender blonde man, who seemed quite at ease with the situation, even as he murmured comforting phrases to the greying girl. Another, a tall man with cropped black hair, was looking out into the dark with an intent expression on his face.

"You're those weird people who won the dice game!" Merry cried out in astonishment. The boy, Syaoran, smiled faintly before hurrying to the girl's side. The blonde left the two, kneeling down in front of the hobbits. Even so, he was still a few good inches taller. "My name," he said with a smile on his face, " is Fai D. Flowright. The boy's name is Syaoran in case he already hasn't told you, the fair maiden's is Sakura, and the man wrestling with little Mokona there is Kurogata!" The tall man, who was currently stretching out the fluffball's cheeks, paused for a moment to shout a heated denial.

The hobbits looked askance and the odd group. How could they be so relaxed when there was something so obviously evil near and closing? Fai noticed their worry and smiled again. Only this time, it was a smile that hinted at a more dangerous persona than the one he presented. "Do not worry, little ones, we have been in worse situations than this," he reassured them, no sign of concern in his face.

A shriek echoed from below them. Instantly, the tall man stopped tormenting the fluffball and drew his sword with a feral grin. Syaoran drew his sword as well, and the girl blanched on last time before staggering to her feet with a determined expression. Once again, the predatory grin appeared briefly on Fai's face. He gently herded the hobbits behind the two swordsmen. The girl looked as though she was about to collapse again, but she managed to murmur out a soft greeting and curtsy slightly.

"Now," Fai murmured, "don't worry little ones, you're quite safe. Just sit back and watch the show."

o.0.o.O.o.0.o

I can't believe it. It's done. At first, I was just being lazy, and then school got in my way. A lot. Which brings up my recurring hatred of Chemistry…please don't expect any more updates in the near future as well. While I'd like to write, school is just a little too much right now.


	3. TwO

I would have updated earlier, but school got in the way…again. Plus, I procrastinated. Thanks are given to chelleyangel for beta-ing the previous chapter. This hasn't been beta'ed, because I just wanted to get it posted, so I apologize for the quality.

Disclaimer: I don't own LoTR or Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle. If I did, I would have a better computer than the one I have now.

-----

_The Wilds around Weathertop_

Aragorn huddled at the base of Weather top, expertly lighting the dry branch. He seized it as soon as the flames began crackling merrily, & rushed to the summit of Weathertop.

Five Wraiths materialized in the darkness, with slender deadly-looking rapiers grasped by unseen hands shrouded in ragged, bloodstained silk. Kurogane launched himself forward as soon as he had a clear view of them, engaging two at once with his massive blade. Syaoran followed him, crossing blades with another. The remaining two held back, before darting towards the hobbits.

In a sudden burst of courage backed by panic, Merry and Pippin unsheathed their swords and ran towards the first Wraith. They were swatted away as if they were no more than irritating flies. Sam followed suit, only to be thrown against a crumbling pillar.

"Sam!" Frodo cried out as he ran to him, "Sam, are you all right-" Frodo looked up. The last Wraith, who had held back, was looming over him. "No – no…no, no," Frodo whispered frantically as he darted away from Sam, and from everyone else. A quick glance behind him promised a long and tortuous fall should he jump. Pressed for time, and already out of feasible ideas, Frodo slipped his hand in his pocket and drew out the ring. With no hesitation, he jammed it onto his finger.

Instantly, the world shifted. Everythin was in shades of grey. Frodo looked around wildly. The Wraiths were pure black, but they were mere spots in the face of the light emanating from the noble girl. Fai was shrouded in a white sheath of some icy substance, while something darker roiled underneath. The other man, Kurogane, was the opposite with a fiery white core smothered in a dark cloak of ink. The other boy was erratic, flicking from white to black in an instant, as well as mixing the two to create a multitude of grey hues.

A snarl drew his attention back to the problem at hand. The Wraith came in closer, and Frodo could see its face now, a wizened old king with bitter lines of anger and hate lining his face. The king beckoned, reaching out for the ring. Almost of its own will, Frodo's hand started to stretch towards the Wraith. _What am I doing?_ He thought furiously, snatching the hand back and pulling off the ring. The Wraith drew back, now clearly incensed. It brandished its sword, and aimed directly at Frodo's heart.

"Frodo-san, _move_!"

Frodo felt himself being jerked to the side. A sudden icy pain bloomed in his shoulder. The Wraith had missed. Frodo screamed, writhing. The Wraith prepared to strike again, only to have its rapier deflected by the dull gleam of a dagger. Strider drove the Wraith back, burning its robes. It was all too much for Frodo the take. The world turned white, then black as he sunk into unconciousness.

Sakura breathed heavily, looking down at the anguished hobbit. She had been able to pull him free from the apparent stupor he was in, but she had no idea what to do next. Should she bandage the wound? Or wait for help? She had no idea.

"Princess Sakura!"

Sakura felt Syaoran's reassuring prescence at her side, and relaxed a little. Syaoran-san would know what to do; he had traveled all his life, so he must have been in a situation like this before. But still…Sakura crawled over to where the Wraith had dropped its blade. Gingerly picking it up by the pommel, she gasped when the blade crumbled into ashes and blew away.

"It's a Morgul blade. Probably poisoned too, if it was being wielded by one of the Nazgul.," a voice muttered from behind her. Whirling around, she saw the tall, dark haired torch-bearer kneel down. He studied the hilt, hissing an oath, before turning to the hobbit. Syaoran had torn a piece of cloth from his shirt and wetted it, before dabbing at the wound as he cleaned away the blood. He looked to Strider, before shaking his head. He could do no more.

Sakura stood by, wringing her hands anxiously. Behind her, Fai laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry Sakura-chan," he said encouragingly, "I'm sure he'll be all right. Whoever he is." Still, Sakura could hear the faint doubt in his voice. She looked to the wounded hobbit again, who was being hoisted onto the tall man's back. He spoke briefly to one of the hobbits before turning to them. "Do you know what athelas looks like? Kingsfoil?" he asked, sighing as Sakura and Fai shook their heads.

"Well, whoever you are, you should come with us. The Nazgul did not earn their reputation by being lax and careless."

Glorfindel murmured soothingly to Asfaloth as he guided the horse through the forest. An unearthly cry resounded through the forest, causing Glorfindel to unsheath his sword without thinking. He jumped off Asfaloth lightly, treading silently through the bracken. A twig snapped to his right, and the elf crept forward slowly. A tired and hunched over man was cutting off several sprigs of some plant, not bothering to hide his movements and the noise he made. Glorfindel frowned. Few things, if any, would cause Aragorn of the Rangers to drop his guard.

"_Suilad, Aragorn e Dunedain_," Glorfindel called out, walking forward. Aragorn started, dropping the Athelas, before relaxing. "Greetings, Lord Glorfindel," he called out, "I thought for a moment that you were a Ringwraith." Glorfindel raised an eyebrow, before picking up the sprig. "What need do you have for Athelas, Aragorn? You seem well enough," the elf commented as he handed it back to Aragorn. Aragorn pressed his lips into a thin line.

"It is a good thing that you were here. I need your help desperately."

This was just _not_ Glorfindel's day. Not that he could actually blame it on anyone. He had been following the movements of a sole Nazgul for the past month, which had led to endless days on the saddle, following the Wraith and its demonic, non-_dying_ horse. The previous days had been particularly annoying as the elven lord's exhaustion finally began to catch up to him.

And of course the tables would have to be turned at the worse time possible. Glorfindel had finally gotten close enough to be able to finally confront the thing and banish it from the lands of Imladris. Figures that would be the precise time when he needed to flee from it the most.

He and Aragorn burst in upon a clearing, where a motely group of travelers met their eyes. Glorfindel let his eyes linger on the two warriors for a moment, before going to the aide of the injured hobbit. He narrowed his eyes as he examined the wound, which was already starting to swell. Frodo's entire arm had turned a bluish hue, and the area around the cut was a deep purple.

The elf turned to Aragorn. "My lord Elrond has the skill to heal him, but with Nazgul on your trail, it will not be easy getting to Imladris while evading them. I would take Frodo, but then you have to divert the Nazgul somehow…" Glorfindel trailed off, biting his lip. Aragorn nodded. "I will find a way to distract them, Glorfindel. Just make sure that Frodo is safe," he said determindly. "Aragorn, is that wise, with these…friends of yours?" Glorfindel asked, his eyes lingering on the odd travelers that stood several paces away.

"They helped us with the Nazgul – they're trustworthy. Please, Glorfindel. If we don't get him to Imladris in time, he will die…and then Gandalf will kill me for letting it happen," Aragorn ended with a grim smile on his face. Glorfindel sighed. "Very well Aragorn, I will take the halfling. Take care," Glorfindel said as he mounted up. The elf galloped away, quickly disappearing in the mist.

"Eh…Aragorn-san?"

Aragorn turned to see the young girl look up at him curiously. "How will we distract them?" she asked, cocking her head. Aragorn couldn't suppress the smile that spread across his face at her innocent question. "We use fire. As much as we can get," he told her, as Kurogane let loose a short bark of laughter at Aragorn's answer

Fai and Syaoran crawled through the underbrush near the river, clutching unlit torches close to them, so that they wouldn't turn damp in the fog that had accumulated as the night passed by. While Glorfindel was forced to take the long way around to evade the Ringwraiths as long he could, Aragorn had led them straight to the border of the Elf haven named Rivendell, of Imladris as the Ranger had called it reverently.

There, they had gathered as much dry wood as they could, and Aragorn had given them all, even Sakura, a small piece of flint and a pile of twigs. Kurogane had stayed behind to guard Sakura and Mokona (much to the ninja's annoyance) while the others hid by the riverbank to surprise the RingWraiths, which hopefully would give Glorfindel enough time to invoke a spell that would catch the Riders off guard and weaken them severely.

Syaoran crouched down underneath the roots of a tree that was halfway on its way to falling into the river and being washed away. Fai had settled down on one of the taller branches in an adjacent tree, and for all appearances seemed to be asleep. Syaoran couldn't help shaking his head. The wizard had the ability to feel at ease in any situation, it seemed.

The clatter of heavy hooves filled the air, as Glorfindel sped through the forest, with the Wraiths in hot pursuit. As soon as the elf hit the river, Syaoran lit his torch and charged forward out of his hiding place. For a moment, as the Wraiths were bearing down on him, the flame almost flickered and died, freezing Syaoran in his tracks. The irrational terror felt kept from thinking as clearly as he had before in similar situations. The wraiths slowed their pace, almost as if they were feeding off his fear.

The flame burst forth, scattering the black and bloody horses that they Wraiths rode, as well as agitating the specters. From above, fiery leaves rained down, lit by Fai. The Wraiths milled about in a panic, before bringing their mounts under control and riding around Syaoran, rather than facing the torch he held.

From across the river, the two travelers could hear Glorfindel shouting out spiel of words that made no sense to either, but carried a weight to them that seemed to enchant everything around them. The trees seemed to bend back, and the stream seemed to go from a merry bubbling to a subdued roar in a matter of seconds. Everything felt more bright, more real. Syaoran stood in wonder, absorbing the sheer _life_ that flowed around him.

"Boy, get back!"

Syaoran snapped out of his stupor at Glorfindel's authoritative call. He backpedaled immediately, falling back until his back pressed the mossy trunk of the tree that Fai was currently sitting in. Syaoran glanced up at Fai. The blonde was gazing with interest at the river, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "This is ancient, powerful magic," Fai commented, "I'm surprised they're using it." He brightened and said cheerfully, "There really must be something at stake here! I wonder what it is?"

A wall of water roared around the bend, its spume covered head formed into the shape of stampeding horses. The flood engulfed everything in its path, overwhelming the Wraiths and their mounts in a split second. Syaoran shuddered. He would've died if Glorfindel hadn't warned him, no question.

The wall of water slowly died down, leaving the banks strangely bare of any debris. Glorfindel had already galloped away, taking full advantage of the extra time he had received. Aragorn joined them a moment later, done with his part in the ruse. Soon after, Sakura and Kurogane appeared as well. "Are you all right Syaoran-san?" Sakura asked anxiously at the disturbed look on the boy's face. Syaoran turned to her and smiled reassuringly. "Yes, all thanks to Glorfindel-san," he replied, turning to gaze across the river. Everyone lapsed into silence, wondering whether Glorfindel could save Frodo.

"Well? What are we doing now?"

Kurogane's gruff question snapped everyone out of their reminisces. Aragorn shrugged. "You can do whatever you want – you've been very helpful, and if you have some more pressing business, then I see no reason why I should keep you here. However, should you be in need of rest, you will find it at Imladris. A hearty meal and a good night's sleep is always found there, no matter what circumstances you're under. I'll show you the way, if you like," he offered.

Once again, Kurogane was the first to respond. "Well, I'm not about to turn down a free meal," he snorted, "I'm going to get the rest of my stuff. You four do whatever you want."

"Thank you, Aragorn-san," Syaoran said, bowing. Aragorn returned the gesture.

"You're more than welcome."

---

Well, that's the end of chapter two. In case anyone was wondering, Aragorn was making sure that none of the riders were going to sneak up of Glorfindel. I actuallyREALLY don't like this chapter, since currently it's un-betaed, but I just wanted to get the darn thing up and get it over with. I was going to finish it earlier, but things got in the way, like a particularly hectic but fun week at school, and various other activities that have been gnawing away at my time. So to anyone who was hoping for something a little sooner, or something written with more quality, I apologize. Hm...this chapter has a lot of breaks in it. I hope no one minds.

Sadly, I'm going to get even more stuff on my plate for the rest of the year, so updates are probably going to be even more sparse. But this fic SHALL NOT DIE. Because I hate people who do that. Especially when they're really, really good. strangles air


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